Toilet flushing system

ABSTRACT

A TOILET FLUSHING SYSTEM WHICH HAS A WATER TANK WITH A DISCHARGE DEVICE OPERATING ACCORDING TO THE SYPHON PRINCIPLE WITH AN ADJUSTABLE SNIFTER VALVE. A DISCHARGE ACCELERATING DEVICE BELOW THE TOILET. THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS ARRANGED FOR GREATER FLUSHING EFFICIENCY WITH A REDUCED QUANTITY OF WATER.

June 22, 1971 E. F. LOPEZ TOILET FLUSHING SYSTEM Filed Sept. 30, 1968 United States Patent O1 3,585,646 Patented June 22, 1971 hcc U.S. Cl. 4-1 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A toilet flushing system which has a water tank with a discharge device operating according to the syphon principle with an adjustable snifter valve. A discharge accelerating device below the toilet. The Whole system is arranged for greater ushing efficiency with a reduced quantity of water.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to toilet flushing devices and systems and particularly to a new water tank with a valveless discharge device combined with a discharge accelerating device at the outlet end of the toilet.

Toilet flushing systems are known to use a certain quantity of water, and with increasing population the problem of providing a sufficient quantity of water for growing communities is an important one. It therefore becomes an equally important problem to improve the efliciency of water consuming devices such as toilets, resulting in a reduced quantity of water without impairing the requirements of hygiene and cleanliness. The invention is concerned with contributing to the solution of the problem of Water saving devices.

SUMMARY The invention consists in such novel features, construction arrangements, combination of parts and improvements as may be shown and described in connection with the apparatus herein disclosed by way of example only and as illustrative of a preferred embodiment. One of the basic concepts of the invention is contained in the valveless discharge mechanism in the water tank of the toilet which has an adjustable snifter valve for slowing down the Water discharge, and in a novel discharge device at the lower end of the toilet, which provides for a more instantaneous and accelerate flushing of the water and waste in the toilet.

Objects and ladvantages of the invention will be set forth in part hereafter and in part will be obvious herefrom or may be learned by practicing the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claims.

It is an object of the invention to provide a novel toilet flushing system.

Another object of the invention is to provide a flushing system having an improved rate of efficiency.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device in a toilet flushing system for reducing the quantity of water needed for a flushing operation.

Various further and more specific purposes, features and advantages will clearly appear from the detailed description given below in connection with the accompanying drawing which forms part of this specification and illustrates merely by way of example one embodiment of the device of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the following description and in the claims, parts will be identified by specic names for convenience, but

such names are intended to be as generic in their application to similar parts as the art will permit. Like reference characters denote like parts in the drawing in which:

FIG. l is a vertical section of the toilet system comprising a typical toilet bowl, a water tank over the bowl and a discharge accelerating device below the bowl; and

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section of the filling valve in the water tank.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now in more detail to the drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment by which the invention may be realized, there is shown therein a conventional toilet bowl 1 which is attached by bolts 2 to a iloor 3 of a building. A water tank 4 is arranged on top of bowl 1. A water supply pipeline 5 is in tank 4. Pipeline 5 is connected to a water valve 6, the opening and closing of which is controlled by a oat 7.

Valve 6 is shown in more detail in FIG. 2 and comprises a body 35, preferably made of metal, which has a tube-like part 36. The part 37 of valve 16 has a hori- Zontally oriented cavity 38 which is open on one side of part 37. Cavity 38 is connected by a passageway 39 with part 36. At passageway 39, a shoulder 40 is formed against which a valve seat 41 is placed. Valve seat 41 consists of a ring made of rubber, rubber-like plastic or other suitable elastomer. Valve seat 41 is held in place by a tube-like insert 42 in part 36. Insert 42 has an intermediate wall 43 which is perforated for acting as strainer. Part 36 is threaded on the outside. Part 37 has a flange 44, so that valve 6 can be inserted in an elbow 45 (FIG. 1) of water supply line 5.

A plunger 46 is axially movable in part 37. A rod 47 is attached to plunger 46 and ends in a valve cone 48 which is seated against seat ring 41. Two parallel walls 49 extend upwardly from part 37. Between walls 49, a socket 50 is swingably mounted on a pin 51. Plunger 46 has a bore parallel to pin 51. A link 52 is fitted into the bores in the plunger and in the socket for movably connecting the two parts. A rod 33 is inserted in socket 50 (FIG. 2), extending longitudinally of valve 6 (FIG. l). yRod 33 carries float 7. A leaf spring 32 is attached to valve 6, which presses down on swinging arm 33 of float 7 for holding iloat 7 down as long as possible so that tank 4 can be lled rapidly. In the end position (valve 6 closed) spring 32 engages a notch 34 on swinging arm 33.

The valveless discharge device of tank 4 comprises an inner pipe 8 which is inserted into a hollow bell 9 made of rubber or like elastic or elastomeric material. Bell 9 is tightly fitted in opening 10 in the bottom of tank 4. Bell 9 has a flange 11 which is clamped tightly against the bottom of tank 4 by the flange 12 of a short discharge tube 13 which leads into toilet bowl 1. Flange 12 is held by a clamping ring 14 and a sealing gasket 15. An outer pipe or tubular member 16 is placed over inner pipe or tubular member 8 and is welded or otherwise secured to one inner .side thereof to the outside face of pipe 8. Inner pipe 8 has an open end 17, whereas outer pipe is closed on the upper end 18 thereof `which is above open end 17 of pipe 8. Outer pipe 16 has a lower open end 19. Inner pipe 8 and outer pipe 16 thus form a vertically oriented siphon which retains the Water in tank 4 at the level of upper open end 17 of inner pipe 8. A short operating arm 20 is attached to the outside 0f outer pipe 16. Arm 20 is linked to a pivotally swinging arm 21 which is operated by a lever 22. Thus, the siphon consisting of inner pipe 8 and outer pipe 16 can be tilted elastically in bell 9 by lifting arm 21 until closed upper end 18 of outer pipe 16 is lled with water, whereupon the water contained in tank 4 is instantaneously discharged through inner pipe 8. In order to control the flow of the water, a snifter valve 23 is arranged on the outside of outer pipe 16 for admitting air to the siphon at a given water level, which can be set by rotating the valve intake tube 24 and by adjusting the valve screw 25. By means of snifter valve 23, the amount of discharged water can be controlled and adjusted to a minimum required quantity.

At the lower end of bowl 1 where the entire ushing contents is discharged into the sewer pipe or pipeline 26, an insert member 27 is tightly sealed by ange 28 against the body of bowl 1 and extends within pipeline 26. Insert member 27, consisting preferably of a rubberlike plastic or the like elastic or elastomeric material is con-shaped and has at its lower end 29 a substantially cone-shaped expandable end portion or member 30. The wall of expandable member 30 may consist of a plurality of elastic lobes or utes 31. Lobes 31 hold elastically together for closing lower end 29 at the time when no discharge occurs. Lobes 31 may be separated by slits or may be joined or connected together by intermediate webbing or folds therebetween similar to the pleats of a skirt. They hold also lower end 29 closed at the start of a discharge until a certain quantity of water has accumulated in insert member 27. Thereupon lobes or flutes 31 will open outwardly by spreading apart under the pressure of the water so that the entire discharge will rush through at once at an accelerated velocity whereby a very eicient ushing action is achieved with a reduced quantity of water.

While the invention has been described and illustrated with respect to a certain preferred example which gives satisfactory results, it will be understood by those skilled in the art after understanding the principle of the invention that various changes and modications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and it is intended therefore in the appended claims to cover such changes and modifications.

What is claimed is:

1. A toilet flushing system for discharging water and waste material comprising: a water tank for containing a source of water; a toilet bowl for receiving said waste material, and lfor receiving said water from said water tank; a discharge pipeline located below said toilet bowl,

said pipeline being connected to said toilet bowl and forming an outlet for said water and waste material; and flexible discharge accelerating means mounted within said discharge pipeline, said flexible discharge accelerating means initially restricting the flow of waste material and water through said discharge pipeline and nally flexing to facilitate the ow of water and Waste lmaterial -for discharge from said discharge pipeline.

2. In a toilet flushing system according to claim 1, said discharge accelerating means having a substantially cone-shaped expandable end portion which extends within said discharge pipeline.

3. In a toilet ushing system according to claim 1, said discharge accelerating means comprising a rst coneshaped member and a second cone-shaped expandable member connected to the end of said rst member.

4. In a toilet ushing system according to claim 3, said second cone-shaped member consisting substantially of longitudinally slit elastic lobes.

5. In a toilet ushing system according to claim 3, said second cone-shaped member consisting substantially of longitudinally extending lobes.

6. In a toilet ushing system according to claim 5, said lobes being connected by a pleat-like webbing.

7. In a toilet flushing system according to claim 1, and a rell valve having a valve seat and a movable valve member therein sealingly pressed against said seat by the pressure of filling uid when said valve is in closed position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 763,561 6/1904 Hooper 4-73 864,196 8/ 1907 Rollins 4-73 1,281,583 10/1918 Jones 4-41 2,328,382 8/ 1943 Langdon 137-525 .1 2,642,259 6/ 1953 Catlin IS7-525.1 2,897,835 8/1959 Philippe 137-5251 2,940,251 6/ 1960 Prentiss 137-525 .1 2,941,544 6/ 1960 Peras 137-5251 3,047,013 7/ 1962 Baumbach 137-525 .1 3,143,293 8/ 1964 Purse 239-602 HOUSTON S. BELL, I R., Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 4-41; 138-39 

